When I added this title to My Wishlist although I had heard of this contemporary American novelist I had not read any of her novels. I was delighted when thanks to another Bookcrosser this book arrived in the post as a surprise. This is one of the great things about Bookcrossing the generosity of those people willing to share books with others around the world.
The central theme of the novel is the parable from the Bible of The Prodigal Son. Jack Boughton is the prodigal son, returning home after twenty years and attempting to rebuild his relationship with his father and siblings. He left with a drink problem and emotional problems which have got worse not better during his long absence. The female protagonist of the three main characters is Glory, also running away from her life, using the excuse of returning home to care for her dying Father. Glory is the youngest of the Reverend’s eight children and the only one free to nurse him. She also has secrets that burden her as her life has not been a conventional one for small town America in the fifties. The Reverend Robert Boughton is an old man for whom Christianity is a way of life. Although he knows he is dying, finds it impossible to give Jack the opportunity to talk to him about his problems, despite the fact he has always been his favourite child.
A very moving book about families, love, death and faith, where as there is not much action the words and thoughts of the characters are the strength.
Marilynne Summers Robinson was born on November 26th 1943 and grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho, is an American novelist and essayist. Her first novel, Housekeeping (1980) , received the PEN/Hemingway award for best first novel as well as being nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her second novel, Gilead (2004) , won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and her third, Home (2008), won the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Marilynne Robinson reads from her novel "Home"
Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.
Amazon - Author's Page - Marilynne Robinson
Wikipedia - Marilynne Robinson
Do pay a visit to this linky to find out what others around the world are reading.